Electric toaster



Filed April 50, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l Mrs/five; I 62 /273 F ArwzA EY G. F. WELLS 1,769,973

July 8, 1930. v WELLS Q 1,769,973

ELECTRIC TOASTER Filed April 30, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 g A5 4 1/3; 20 Z16 23 5 Z3 26 July 8, 1930. F W LLS 1,769,973 1 ELECTRIC TOASTER Filed April 30, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATT'oENEV Pas ed July 8, i930 GIOBGI 1'. WILLS, Oil SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA ELECTRIC 'IOAS'IER Application filed April 80, 1988. Serial No. 278,882.

This invention relates to an electrical appliance, and articularly to a bread toaster. It is one o the objects of my mvention to provide an electric toaster that is simple in construction and that is easy to manipulate. It is another object of my invention to provide a novel form of bread support by theaid of which the bread can be removed from the toaster by rotating it outwardly from between the heating elements.

My invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objects which may be made more easily apparent from a consideration of several embodiments of my invention. For this urpose I have shown a few forms in the forming part of the present specification. I shall now proceed to describe these forms 1n detail, which illustrate the general PIlIlClples of my invention; but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of my invention is best defined the appended I accommodated, for toasting both sides of the claims.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of myvtoaster;

1 ig. 2 is a front elevat1on thereof, partly in section;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken through the center of the toaster; a

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section, taken along plane 3 of Fig. 3; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of the toaster, the plane of the section being at right angles to that of Fi 3 Fi s. 5 and 6 are front elevations of two modfiication's of the toaster shown in Figs. 1' 0 4 F g. i is a, front elevatiqnof a multiple slice toaster embodying the "principles of my invention; and

I Fig. 8'.is a fragmentary side elevation of 11 general, I'utilize one or more pairs of heating elements, such as 11 and 12, Flgs. 3

and 4, between which slices of bread can be m cf a resistan d terfi? Wa l d 9!! rawings accompanying and.

. having '26 fastened to plate 25 serve to '19 from a supporting surface.

insulation plates 7 such as mica. The bread can be accommodated on a rack 13. Since the elements 11 and 12 are vertically arranged, I

a make rack 13 so that the. bread 1t carries can be interleaved with the elements.- In the present instance, this interleaving is accomplished in a novel and simple manner.

- Thus rack 13 includes a pair of arms spaced substantially at ri ht angles to one another,

the apex being a jacent the lower ends of elements 11 and 12, and the entire rack being dlsposed, when in active position, between the elements. The bread 14 (Fig. 1) can be placed on the rack so as to be confined by these two sides. The rack-13 can be tilted so thatit can assume the alternate position shown in F ig. 1, or the position shown in Fig. 3. To perform this tilting, rack 13 at its apex is provided with a corner reinforcement member 15 of sheet metal. This member 15 has an ear 16 formed by doubling the material, said ear extending around a shaft 17 that extends through sup orts hereinafter to be described. Ear 16 is astened on shaft 17 as by screw 18. It is thus seen that the bread 14 can be easily moved, by a simple rotation of shaft 17, either to a position between the elements 11 and-12, or to a position where it can be taken off or puton rack 13. 1

I shall now describe the various su porting elements of the toaster, whereb the unctions as heretofore set forth, can readily ac complished. r

A sheet metal base member 19 is provided, wounded or cupped edges, as shown at 20 Fig. 3) This base has a central apertured depression 21 for the accommodation of a support or standard 22. This standard fits into the depression and is held thereon by the aid of a'plurali'ty of screws 23. -Spacers 24 are disposed over these screws, between the bottom of depression 21 and a cover plate 25 for the bottom of base 19. Insulation feet space the base The standard 22 serves to providea jourj fined by a web 28 (Fig. 3) upon which the These shields 29, 30 are conveniently made fromthe same die as used for makin base 19, the contour of each a being exact y the same. However, shields 29, do,not. have any central apertures.

astening mto eachsof these shields 29, 30 is a sheet metal member 32 held in place as by screws 33. Spaced over this member, as the aid of the oppositeraised sides 34 '(Fig. 3') of the member 32, is the heating unit 11 or 12. These heating units are held in place by the aid of'a grill structure 35, comprlsing a series of bars fastened as by welding, to .a.

frame 36. The rill structures at the edges are close to the e ges of shields 29, 30. a They are held in place onsides 34 by screws 37; and spacers 38 can be interposed between the frames 36 and the heatin elements 11, 12.

The mani ulation of s aft 17 is rendered simple by t e addition of a handle 39 fastened to one end thereof. The shaft 17 is furthermore prevented from axial movement with respect to support 22 as by making the axial length of ear 16 so large as to extend all the way between the two socket members 27, thereby forming shoulders coo rating Iz aith ithe inner surfaces of these mem ers, see

Connections to the heating elements can be plrovided by leading wires 40 through a bus 'ing 41 located in an aperture beneath one of the vanes 28. Thence the wires can extend through apertures 42 injthe vanes 28, in which apertures insulationbushings 43 can be proamem vlded. These bushings lea through shields 29, 30 and thereby provide conduits through which connections to the heating units 11 and 12 can be made.

In order to provide a brace for the two heating unit structures at the top, I provide is fastened to t e grillstructures 35.

It is advisable to ensure that the bread :su ort 13 be normally in the osition shown in ig.'3. For this-purpose, provide a flat spring 45, fastened to thebottom edge of tions 47 or 48 on ear 16 when shaft 1 is rotated out of the central position. The resil-' ience of this spring serves to urge the support 13 to the position of Fi' 3. ,Infact, the rotation of shaft 17 to thee ternatleiposition shown n Flg. 1, can be used to pe orm aswitchmgo I ration, whereby the elements 11, 12 are eenergized. For I this purpose, the spring 45 can carry an insulated contact 49 cooperating with another nsu ted contact er 44 ad'acenttheuppercorner, which-- 56. These contacts areopened when the shaft 17 is rotated out of central position, because either one or the otherof ears 47, 48 will engage sprin 45 and urge it away from contact 50. us the heating element circuit can be automatically opened and kept o 11 while the toaster is being loaded or unloadfd.

In order to limit the movement of the bread support 13, 'I provide a stop for it on each s1 y an arrangementfor toastin a pluralit of slices at once. Such a form 18 shown in 7, in which three slices can be toasted. common shaft 53 controls all of the bread supports 54, 55, 56. The intermediate heatin elements 58, 59, are active on both sides, w ile the end elements are provided with the shields -61, 62. The intermediate elements can be supported on the supporting member 63 in any appropriate manner.

In Fig. 5, show a toaster that is provided at one side with a tray 64, shown as forming a continuation of base 65 on which the toaster is ,This tra can serve to hold slices 0 read wait toasted.

. v110 In Fi s 6 and 8 a urther modification is shown, t ere being in this instance a pair of trays 66, 67, one on each. side of the base 68. These trays can be used, one for the bread to be toasted, and the other for the toasted slices. In other respects, the forms shown in Figs. 5' and 6 can be substantially like that heretofore described.

. In this case I also show a timing device for tilting the bread rack 13 after a predetermined time has elapsed, whereby the cir- I cuits are also automaticall opened, as described in connection with ig. 3. This timing device can include a' constant speed device 69, such as an esca ment controlled ring movement. A dia 70 can be set for etermining the duration of the toasting operation, and means for windin up the motor 69 can be provided by a thum nut'71. This device 69 is'arranged to actuate a lever 72 or other mechanism that is in mechanical engagement with the shaft 17; for example, by a slot and pin connection. Lever 72 can, be operated in a manner analogous to the alarm mechanism of an alarm clock, and when .it is actuated by the mechanism, it tilts shaft elements, said elements being substantially:

square means for supporting said elements so that the diagonal of the square is substantially vertical, and a bread rack rotatably supported between the elements.

2. In an electric toaster, a standard providing a pair of saddle supports, square heating units each supporte at one corner respectively on the supports so as to form a narrow space between them, and a rack movable in and out of said space.

3. In an electric toaster, a standard providing a pair of saddle su ports, square heat ing units each supports at one corner respectively on the supports so as to form a narrow space between them, a rack, and a shaft sup rting said rack rotatably, whereby it can 3 rotated in and out of said space. I 4. In a toaster, apair of opposed heating elements, said elements being substantially square, means for supporting said elements so that the diagonal of the square is substango tially vertical, and a'bread rack formed of two sides forming an angle, supported be- I tween the elements, the rack being rotatable adjacent the lower corner of the square and near the corner of the an le.

In testimony whereof have hereunto set m hand.

y GEO. F. WELLS. 

